


Translucence

by StarDusty



Series: Crystalline [1]
Category: DMMd, DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: DMMD AU, Eventual Smut, M/M, mermaid au, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 14:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1513193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarDusty/pseuds/StarDusty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aoba Seragaki is a young adult living right on the coast of Midorijima, a small Japanese island. Life is slow, pleasant and relaxed until one walk by the coast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Translucence

The ocean is vast. Nobody could ever hope to chart its depths, uncover its secrets, know every shade of blue and green that intertwine and dance on the water's surface. The ocean is soft, warm and gentle, but it is also strong, terrifying and unpredictable. I've seen both, and everything inbetween.

I've been living on the coast with my Granny, dog and older twin brother Sei for 12 years. We moved here after Sei developed a serious lung disease, leaving him frail and unable to walk any significant amount without assistance- I often take him out for walks, usually with him in a wheelchair, although he does walk every now and then. It was recommended that he move somewhere close to the coast as the sea air would help him. They said the ocean could cause miracles, which, as it turns out, is damn true.  
Morning. Light lazily flickered through the curtains as I stretch out. As I lie there, clutching my pillow with both hands, there's the faint sound of movement against the wooden floor, followed by a small but recognisable tap on my door.  
"Good morning, Aoba!" Sei hummed as he entered, before slowly standing and sitting beside me on my bed. I take a dazed look at him.  
He has soft, ivory skin, in contrast to mine which is gently browned by daily work on docks. His hair is black, similar to the colour of a raven's feathers, which is neatly pushed into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, with his bangs glossy and straight. His eyes glow warmly and he's smiling as always. His limbs are thin, fragile and pale, and as he brings his hand to move my hair out of my eyes, I almost worry that his porcelain fingers will break if he's not careful.  
"A-o-ba~." He sings as he collapses straight onto my back. I shoot him an indignant glare, but he knows I'm just joking, and he laughs, a laugh which you almost couldn't hear unless you knew to listen for it. He may look like an angel, but he's definitely not all innocent. I have memories of the many pranks he'd played on me when we were younger.  
When he was healthy.  
I catch myself sighing, and his expression quickly shifts to concern, as he pets my hair ever so lightly, and by the look on his face I guess he knows what I'm thinking. But, he shakes his head and smiles again, and just like that everything feels better again.  
I love his smile. 

I throw a shirt and some shorts on, messily throw my hair into a low ponytail, grab my bag and shout to Granny that I'm going for a walk. Sei was tired, so he was taking a nap instead of coming with me. Ren, my dog, runs up besides me. I plant my forehead in his fluffy little body, and he looks at me. Oh yeah, I should add- We can talk to each other, as crazy as it sounds.  
"Aoba. You're leaving?" He asks me.  
"Yeah. You coming?"  
"No, I ought to stay here and keep Sei company."  
"Sure. See you later." I allow my hand to linger on his ears, feeling their softness. I've had Ren since my 13th birthday, but he's still like a puppy to me. He's precious, completely irreplaceable.  
I open the door and step out.

The thing about a calm seaside life is that it's intoxicating in a way you'd never even notice until you tried to escape it. It draws you in with its salt scented embrace, dying your senses turquoise. You see the ocean and you feel like you understand it any better than anyone else. Every ripple and wave resonates until it's a part of you. Or maybe, that's just how I feel. I kick my way down the sand dusted trail, watching it scatter in the sunlight like gold. I notice the small things like this. I notice the pastel coloured wildflowers barely clinging to the crumbling brick walls in the spring. I notice the pawprints Ren leaves when I take him down to the beach. I notice the feathers left by seagulls on the ground, like a small scrap of cloud that has floated down to Earth. I wasn't born by the sea, but I know I belong here.  
It's March. It's sunny and mild, but it's definitely to cold to go in the water. I step over sand dunes, wade through rivers of thigh high grass, hop through seashells scattered on sand. I can hear the symphony of the waves, the crashing percussion and the howl of the wind. It's music to me and it might just be my favourite melody.  
Wait.  
Normally it's just the breeze and the water I hear, but maybe... It can't be. I must be imagining things. There's no way there's someone here.  
But I can hear it.  
I hear someone's song.  
It's soft. And just as the ocean draws you in, with its lazy lapping waves, the voice does too. I have to find where this voice is coming from, I decide.  
I look out around, before running to an ancient slab of stone with a similarly ancient pair of binoculars resting on top. Maybe at one point I would have had to pay to operate them, but that time is long gone. I look out through the thick lenses, desperate to find the origin of that melody. The melody that uses the ocean and the wind as its percussion. I'm so hopelessly drawn.  
And at last, I spot someone. Nestled by black rocks, I see a flash of white. Unable to hold myself back, I run over, just giving myself enough time to be catious enough not to fall, because a mistake like that could be fatal.  
As I thought, there's someone in the water. It's a guy, with a creamy complexion and snowy white hair dotted with tiny blossoms. I watch him, cautiously, as he reaches against the wall and picks tiny flowers on their vines and weaves them into his hair. What the hell is he doing? The ocean is freezing, he must be crazy, he's not even wearing a wetsuit-  
A small section of rock falls from where I was standing, and it splashes to the water. He turns around, abruptly, and I'm fully grabbed by his gaze. His rose hued eyes look like they can see right through me. As I study his face, I notice he has two moles dotted beneath his lip, as if he'd been bitten by a tiny snake. He looks at me with an expression that can only be described as fascination. Neither of us speak.  
Before I have time to process what's happening, he reaches up and grabs my leg.  
"H-Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?! That's dangerous, asshole!"  
As I snap at him I immediately feel completely terrible as his expression switches from amazement to sadness, the sort of face you'd see from a scolded child. He's cute, in a weird way.  
"I'm sorry..." He whispers, his speaking voice just as light and melodic as his singing voice. I feel awful. Even if he is completely insane, I don't think he means any harm. I sigh, and sit down at the edge of the rock. He looks confused, and tentatively extends his hand to my calf.  
"This is so strange!" he exclaims, as if he's never seen a leg before.  
"What do you mean? You're the one grabbing me out of nowhere." The contrast of his milky coloured hand against my caramel shin is painfully obvious but he's too enthralled to notice.  
"Because I've never seen a human so close before! Grandpa usually tells me to stay away, but it's such a nice day I can't resist! I hope he doesn't get mad at me..."  
Wait, what?  
"What do you mean you haven't seen a human so close before? You look pretty human to m-"  
And that's when I notice.  
At his waist is a silver, filmy layer of skin that floats just below his navel, followed closely by another, larger one, like a petticoat. Beneath that, I can see a network of thick, silvery tendrils flitting around beneath him in the water.  
"You... You... What the hell?!!" I cannot believe what I'm seeing. There is no way this is real. I must be dreaming. I-  
"Are you alright? You look a little pale, is something the matter?" He asks, curiously, his eyebrows tilting upwards, making him look concerned.  
"Right, I think I'm crazy, or you are half jellyfish." I state, slowly.  
"Correct!" He smiles and looks at me happily.  
Honestly, I do not know what to say. There are many things that could have happened when I went outside today. I could have had ice cream. I could have seen Mizuki. I could have been hit by a car. Hell, it could have fucking snowed for all I know. But right now, there is a half human half marine animal touching my leg, and I did not expect that to happen. Moments pass in silence.  
"Hey, what's your name?" He asks me, after what feels like forever.  
"A-Aoba... Aoba Seragaki." I manage to stutter.  
"My name's Clear! It's nice to meet you, Aoba!" I look at him. He's so childlike, so innocent, and to be honest, he's really cute, even if he is also really odd. I feel something being pushed around my wrist, and I temporarily pause from being completely shocked stupid to look. It's a small bracelet formed from the tiny flowers that adorn his hair.  
"It's getting late. I better get going..." He mutters, with a tinge of sadness in his voice.  
"...I'll see you again!"  
"H-Hey, wait!" I yell. But he's gone. I stare at my newly acquired decoration. Did any of this actually just happen. I brush the petals with my finger. Yep, they're real. So yep, this is happening.  
After a while of contemplating what the hell is going on, I stumble to my feet. That is enough crazy for one day. More than enough.  
I begin the walk home.

******************  
The next afternoon, Granny asks me to go to town to buy her some things. The nearby town is small, but not far, maybe a ten minute walk if you're a little slow.  
I make my way down the cobbled street, looking down as I walk. I am still completely and fully confused by yesterday's events, but my bracelet remains intact.  
I'm heading to the grocery store when I see him.  
A young man, maybe a few inches taller than me. He has snow white, wavy hair with a single pastel flower woven into it, milky hued skin, and rosy eyes. There were two moles beneath his lip.  
No way.  
He has a neon yellow scarf around his neck which is hugely notable, but other than that he wears a fitted white shirt and a pair of sandy coloured cargo shorts. He looks odd, but maybe that's because last time I saw him he was a fucking jellyfish.  
"AOOOBAAAAAA!" He screeches excitably, running up to me and throwing his arms around me.  
"You. You. What. You. I do not understand." I mumble incoherently as he nuzzles his face against mine. If I wasn't so surprised I'd probably be blushing. Shit, I think I might be, actually.  
"Okay okay okay, so, I told Grandpa and he was mad and he yelled and I cried a little, but then he just said "Oh kids are just like that nowadays it can't be helped" in his grandpa voice, and then he said there was a way I could be human! So he gave me this anklet, and now, I have legs as long as I keep it on!"  
"I don't know if that was meant to make sense but it doesn't." I mutter blankly. But it doesn't matter, as he grabs my arm and pulls me away anyway.  
"I've never done people things before! I wanna see everything!" he sings.  
It is gonna be a long day.


End file.
